Kubinashi
Kubinashi is a yōkai of the Nura Clan whose head floats above his shoulders and who has no neck. He frequently takes care of laundry around the Nura mansion and fights using string. Appearance Kubinashi has blond hair which is black below, has amber eyes in the anime (blue in the manga) and has been told to be handsome and is always seen wearing a scarf, mostly black in color. He wears an olive-green traditional male's kimono with a blue-green jacket over it, along with traditional straw sandals and possibly bandages around his legs and feet. Some of his red strings are attached to the jacket. During the Shikoku arc, he wore a long olive robe with a black scarf and sunglasses while in disguise. In the past, Kubinashi wore a black kimono of the same style as his current olive one, but with a black jacket instead and had a long ponytail. Personality In the past, Kubinashi was very loyal to the oiran Shiragiku when he was still human. When he became a yōkai, he was bent on revenge against all yōkai and believed that comrades and friends were nothing more than hindrances to him. After exchanging sakazuki with Rihan, this changed, but he was still very rude, easily irritated and slightly vulgar, often resorting to violence to solve his problems. However, his personality seems to have changed drastically after Rikuo was born, becoming more gentle and polite, though he still remains strictly loyal and serious. He rarely calls Rikuo waka (meaning 'Young master'), preferring to call him 'Rikuo-sama' instead. He seems to have a weakness for girls and a low tolerance for alcohol. History Kubinashi was once a chivalrous thief akin to Robin Hood. He was in love with and often visited an oiran in Yoshiwara named Shiragiku, who worried that he would be caught and beheaded. He, however, was unconcerned - saying that his actions were done for the sake of justice, and he had no fear of being judged. He was also friends with a young girl named Kino who served as the oiran's attendant. At one point, a former target began threatening Shiragiku to provide information on Kubinashi. After she refused and was ultimately taken hostage, Kubinashi and his fellow thieves went to rescue her but she had already committed suicide. He and his companions were then toyed with and killed by yōkai. As a result, he became a yōkai himself in order to exact revenge. Over 250 years ago, prior to meeting and being defeated by Rihan, he was well known as "The String Assassin of Hitachi Province" (常州の弦殺師, Jōshū No Gentsatsushi) and went around killing yōkai. Though Rihan originally intended to kill him, Kubinashi was protected by Kejōrō and ended up joining Rihan's Hyakki Yakō. He looked after Rikuo when the boy was young, often teaching him cat's cradle. Four years ago, he was among the yōkai who went to rescue the school bus and ended up fighting members of the Gagoze Alliance. Synopsis Shikoku Arc He becomes one of Rikuo's additional bodyguards and keeps watch from the rooftop while the latter attends school. In the manga, When Rikuo and the other bodyguards suspect a Shikoku yōkai is lurking in the school auditorium, Kubinashi disguises himself as Rikuo and the two trade places. Inugami attacks the false Rikuo and becomes entangled in Kubinashi's string. Together with Yuki Onna, he immobilizes the Shikoku yōkai in order for Rikuo to deliver the finishing blow. In the final battle between Rikuo's forces and Tamazuki's, Kubinashi fights against Hari Onna. In the anime, he is among the Nura Clan yōkai who invade an abandoned building after Inugami lures Rikuo and the Kiyojūji Paranormal Investigation Squad there. When Inugami attacks Rikuo, Kubinashi immobilizes the former's head with his string. In the final battle between Rikuo's forces and Tamazuki's, he fights against Inugami. Kyōto Arc Kubinashi is among the yōkai who journey with Rikuo to Kyōto, and has an argument and battle with Itaku during the trip. The pair end up working together when Takarabune is forced to crash and successfully limit the damage. After the Nura Clan's forces are devastated by Tsuchigumo, Kubinashi goes back to his old murderous ways and becomes determined to single-handedly take down the Kyōto yōkai and ultimately Hagoromo Gitsune herself. He is confronted by Ibaraki Dōji at the 6th seal of Ryūen-ji and is nearly killed trying to fight alone. Kejōrō literally knocks sense into him and they battle Ibaraki Dōji together with slightly more success. Ultimately, however, they are rescued by Kappa and Yura when things take a turn for the worse. Hyaku Monogatari Clan Arc Kubinashi tries to protect Wakana when Tamasaburō attempts to kill her. Tamasaburō caught Wakana and was about to kill her when Wakana pulled out her pistol and shot him. He remembers when Rihan met Wakana and how she brought him out of his shadow of sorrow after so long. After that, Kubinashi says that Wakana is the Second's treasure and he would not let Tamasaburō erase Wakana's smile. Abilities Kubinashi's string is self-woven, and is a combination of Jorōgumo's restraints and Kejōrō's personality - whereby he says that once he falls for someone, he never lets go. The more a target struggles, the more the string entangles them and it can become as strong as a chain by imbuing it with "fear." Kubinashi is also able to create a replica of himself using the coiled string. Techniques *'Ayatori String Technique: Cat's Cradle, Spiral Blade' (弦術・"殺取" "螺旋刃", Genjutsu ayatori resenjin) is a hyoui technique whereby black string is laid out in a spiral shape beneath an enemy's feet and slices them when pulled. *'Ayatori String Technique: Cat's Cradle, Spider Chain' (弦術・"殺取" "くさり蜘蛛", Genjutsu ayatori kusari gumo) is a hyoui technique which strings up an opponent by the neck. *'Ayatori String Technique: Cat's Cradle, Slithering blade' (弦術・"殺取" "蛇行刃", Genjutsu ayatori jyakō yaiba) is a hyoui technique which uses black string to entwine and dismember an opponent. Relationships *'Kejōrō': Kubinashi and Kejōrō have known each other ever since they were still human and since then share a very close relationship. When Rihan defeated Kubinashi Kejōrō even wished to give her own life to exchange for Kubinashi's life. In a few occasions it's been hinted that she loves him. This love seems to be reciprocated as seen in one of the omakes in which a drunken Rikuo makes fun of Kubinashi and tells him that even after hundreds of years he still hasn't told Kejōrō the truth about what he feels for her. *'Rihan Nura': The one with whom Kubinashi originally exchanged sakazuki. Kubinashi seems to have respected him a great deal and became his close confidante after joining the Nura Clan. He acts overprotective of Rikuo as a result of trying to uphold Rihan's wish that Rikuo be allowed to choose whether to involve himself in yōkai affairs. *'Ryōta Neko': In the anime, they are stated as having once been friends, but their relationship was spoiled for reasons unknown. *'Seisuke' and Kichijirō: Kubinashi's friends and fellow thieves from when he was alive. The three acted as a group with Kubinashi as their leader, and having them both killed rather gruesomely in front of him was devastating. Quotes Trivia *He is still quite famous among Yokai as The Stringer of Jushu. *Hiroshi Shiibashi originally intended to make Kubinashi a girl. *He ranked 6th in the first character popularity poll with 461 votes and 5th in the second with 1,320 votes. He ranked 7th at the third popularity poll with only 613 votes. *Kubinashi's name prior to becoming a yōkai has still yet to be revealed. Throughout the course of his backstory in the third novel, he is only referred to as "gizoku-san" (chivalrous thief). His name appearing as "Shiranami" in a manga chapter was a mistranslation - the word simply means "thief." Gallery Kubinashi_and_kappa.png Kubinasi_and_Kejoro.PNG Category:Characters Category:Male Category:Yokai Category:Nura Clan